Study to look at aging in LGBT communities

Growing old could be the final challenge most of us face. The lucky ones can lean on a partner, children or a family physician who has earned our trust over a lifetime.

But social determinants help predict our quality of life and the quality of health care we will receive, and not everyone is treated equally.

Two Halifax academics are hoping to learn more about the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender seniors as they move through the aging process. It’s part of a cross-Canada study trying to better understand why members of this social community are more likely to grow older alone with fewer supports from family and the medical system than heterosexual seniors.

LGBT seniors are, statistically, less connected with their families of origin, Aine Humble says. They are also less likely to have children or may be estranged from sons or daughters from past heterosexual relationships, which means they may have to look outside their family for care, the Mount Saint Vincent University professor says.

“At the same time, they may have developed some really strong relationships within their community with their friends — we sometimes refer to those as chosen families,” she said. “But we don’t know if, later on, when people are dealing with chronic illnesses, they’re having those (end-of-life) conversations with their chosen family.”

It’s a question Humble and Dalhousie University’s Jacqueline Gahagan hope to answer through four focus groups in the Maritimes, each focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender seniors with at least two chronic conditions. The team will also hear from caregivers older than 50 and those who work with seniors at home or in long-term care.

For those who have moved into long-term care, there are stories of those who deny their sexual orientation because of stigmatization from peers, staff or the system, Humble said.

“They’ve lived through a lifetime of homophobia, of heterosexism, they’ve lived through times where their sexual orientation was absolutely not accepted, was wrong, was illegal. They hide this huge part of their lives and that has implications for their overall well-being but also the specific health care they receive.”

Humble gives the example of someone who identifies as a transgender woman not telling a physician. If someone has taken hormones for decades, it could affect their chances of getting breast cancer and should be monitored, she said.

The study will happen in tandem with research in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. The findings will result in a website with information about resources for LGBT seniors. Researchers are looking for participants to meet for a session in August or September. The team can be contacted at LGBT-end-of-life-study@msvu.ca or 494-6620.